——

Yes Linda is ALIVE! Turns out they staged her death. Delgado had been keeping her in a hostage ward/gang type facility in upstate New York (idk just go with it) The day she called Danny was the day she got ahold of a phone. She had to figure out where she was first though and after months of planning, gaining trust and investigating she made the call.

After that the whole Reagan clan took a trip to the ward with S.W.A.T leading the way, they got Linda back and Delgado is in federal prison at last with all the people involved.

—

Monday August 31st 2021 a little over a week later. It was Emmalyn's last first day of preschool. Next year she'd be off to kindergarten. It was also Eddies first day back to work. She had mixed emotions about it.

It was 7am, Eddie was nursing Scarlett and eating the pancakes Jamie made for breakfast at the table with Emmalyn. Jamie left to go get a quick shower because Scarlett spit up on him earlier and he couldn't kick the smell. It was stuck on his body.

"Are you excited for school!?" Eddie asked Emmalyn.

"I'm not ready." She told her, Eddie cocked her head confused.

"What do you mean your not ready? You love school." Eddie asked her.

"I don't want to wear this." She said looking down at her pajamas she had on. Eddie couldn't help but laugh.

"Em your not wearing your pjs to school. We'll get dressed when your done eating, and mommy will do your hair." Eddie said bringing Scarlett up on her shoulder to burp.

"I want daddy to do my hair." Emmalyn said. Eddie looked at her.

"Daddy is not doing your hair." She said laughing. Emmalyn was for real though, she really wanted Jamie to do her hair. Just then Jamie came back out, done his shower.

"Why not?" Emmalyn asked Eddie, she was on the verge of crying.

"Em daddy doesn't know how to." She told her, Jamie grew a confused look wondering what they were talking about as he came over to eat the pancakes he set aside for himself.

"Emmalyn wants you to do her hair.." Eddie told him. He sat down with the plate.

"Oh yeah honey I can't do hair. That's a mommy job." He told her cutting up his pancake. Emmalyn was sad about what Jamie said. Jamie had exchanged looks with Eddie about her reaction.

"C'mon Em all done with this. Let's go get dressed." Eddie said getting up with Scarlett in her arms, she wasn't up for dealing with one of Emmalyn's melt downs today. Jamie knew Eddie played hard ball when Emmalyn acted up like this knowing he was a softy. He always feels bad, she's such a daddies girl.

"Eddie..." Jamie called out watching them walk to her room.

"Then you come do it when your done." She told him. She laid Scarlett down on Emmalyn's bed and picked out a dress and hair bow to put on Emmalyn.

Jamie finished his breakfast and went in to see how Emmalyn was. Eddie handed him a brush and hair tie and told him to give it a go. She was done dealing with the melt down. She picked up Scarlett and left the room. Jamie collected a little bit of hair and tied it, then he stuck a bow on it.

"Alright how's that?" He asked Emmalyn. She looked in her mirror and liked it. They went out to brush teeth, Eddie saw how good of a job Jamie actually did with her hair.

It was 8:15 and pop knocked on the door. Eddie let him in and gave him a hug.

"Good morning!" Eddie said.

"Good morning, how has morning been so far?" He asked.

"Oh good, Jamie's helping Emmalyn pack her snack and backpack up." Eddie said bouncing Scarlett around as she fussed.

"Well you have to leave soon don't you? Give me this little one. What does she want?" Pop asked as Eddie gave him Scarlett.

"She ate an hour ago, she's probably wanting a nap soon but I think she needs to be burped yet." Eddie said and they walked into the apartment more.

"Hey pop. Here put that in there too." Jamie said handing Emmalyn a ziplock bag of goldfish. She put it in her bag.

"Poppy!" Emmalyn was excited to see him.

"Are you excited for school!? You look beautiful!" He said to her.

"I'm gonna go get changed, and then we'll be on our way. Here I wrote out a little bit of a the schedule she's kind of been on but every day is different. I thought it would be nice to have a reference though." Eddie said to pop showing him the paper on the counter.

"This is fantastic. Just remind me briefly of the milk situation..." he said to Eddie who was in a rush to get dressed she pointed to Jamie to take over.

"I'll show you, she's gotta get dressed. So there's 2 in here to drink first, you just put it in the warmer right here add a little water and push this button. And then when she's done those there's frozen ones in here you just thaw in hot water. We'll try to put frozen in the fridge over night so you don't have to thaw it but we're still learning haha." Jamie said to pop.

"Sounds great. How she doing with this?" Pop whispered to Jamie.

"With?" Jamie was confused.

"Going back to work. Is she sad or excited or ?" He asked.

"Oh that. Umm, she's okay. She wants to get back to work but I think she knows she has a family to come home to now and I think it's scaring her." Jamie told him and pop nodded understanding.

"She'll enjoy getting back into it." Pop told him and Jamie knew that.

"She got emotional last night. Not about that but just about leaving the baby." Jamie said pointing to Scarlett in pops arms.

"Yeah well do you blame her?" He asked Jamie.

"Oh no of course not. I hated going back after she was born, but back in the routine is nice." Jamie said, pop was going to say something but Eddie came out of the room.

"Ready?" Jamie asked her.

"Yeah, lets go Em get your bag." Eddie said putting her coat on at the door. Jamie kissed Scarletts head.

"Love you." He said to her, when he turned around he saw Eddies eyes filling with tears and her lip was curling. She bent down to kiss Scarlett on her cheek.

"Be good peanut." She said and then her tears ran down her face.

"She'll be okay Eddie." Pop reassured her, patting her on the back. Eddie knew she would and shook her head.

"C'mon babe it's okay" Jamie said rubbing her back as she got her purse. Emmalyn was clueless and wanted to go to school. Eddie took one last look at Scarlett in pops arms and left. She wiped her tears as they got out to the car.

On their way to Emmalyn's school Jamie held her hand and she started to relax. They both walked Emmalyn into school only because it was her first day. They walked to room 8 to be greeted by Miss.Davenport (aka Jamie's ex fiancé).

"Welcome back Emmalyn!" She said giving her a big hug. Emmalyn was so excited to be back she loved Sydney. Eddie of course starts crying now. Jamie catches wind of it on the corner of his eye.

"Okay well be good alright? Pops going to pick you up and you'll see me and mommy tonight at dinner time alright?" Jamie said crouched down talking to Emmalyn.

"Okay!" She said giving him a big hug. Eddie knelt down to do the same.

"Be a good girl for mommy okay? I'll miss you and I love you alright?" Eddie said crying to her 4 year old. Jamie touched her back wanting her to stand up and collect herself.

"Don't cry mommy. I'll see you later." Emmalyn told her. It made Eddie cry more as she gave her a hug and a kiss and stood up next to Jamie who put his hand on her lower back.

"Eddie..." he was slightly embarrassed at the scene she was making.

"I know. Okay. Call us if you need anything!" Eddie said to Sydney and they left for their car.

"Honey. Everything's gonna be okay." Jamie said keeping his hand on her back as they walked out.

"No one told me how hard this was gonna be." Eddie expressed through her tears.

"I know Eddie. I promise it gets better." Jamie told her.

"You didn't spend 3 months at home with your newborn baby!" She said angrily.

"I thought this was about Emmalyn..?" He asked.

"It's about both of them but right now I can't stop thinking about Scarlett being in someone else's hands other then mine all day." She told him.

"She's going to be fine. It's pops 5th great grandchild. And he would call if he had any questions." Jamie told her, he grabbed her hand and held it as they were on their way to work.

"I know that Jamie. You just don't get it." She signed.

"I do get it. My first day back to work after Scarlett was born...I cried as soon as I shut our apartment door." Jamie admitted, Eddie blown away. Jamie was a tough guy 99% of the time. Herself witnessing him show emotion like that was rare.

"What...?" She said.

"I thought...do I go back in and take one more day? As I hear Emmalyn whining she wants to watch tv, and Scarlett fussy to take a nap I felt terrible Eddie. But I knew this is what I had to do and it would get better. And it did." He said. She didn't know what to say she just stared down at the ground still holding his hand.

He parked the car as they had arrived at the precinct, and Eddie started to get out.

"Hold on." Jamie said turning off the car.

"Come here." Jamie told Eddie and leaned in across the car for a kiss, he pulled her into him.

"I love you." Jamie told her, she smiled and said it back. They got out and walked into work. Ready for whatever this day would bring.